Cases

Abstract:In summer and fall of 2014, thousands of individuals in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea contracted the Ebola virus. This outbreak of the deadly disease, which until then had been highly uncommon in West Africa,...

Abstract:In summer and fall of 2014, thousands of individuals in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea contracted the Ebola virus. This outbreak of the deadly disease, which until then had been highly uncommon in West Africa,...

Abstract:In 2012, amid much fanfare, Peru’s President Ollanta Humala launched an ambitious program on early childhood development called Cuna Más. The program, based on a successful home visiting intervention in...

Abstract:In 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10.10. To the surprise of no one, Congressional Republicans blocked the move, as they had a similar...

Abstract:Regional governance, by contrast to municipal or state control, is the best level of government to tackle certain public functions—or at least, so it seems to most urban planners. Yet in many parts of the...

Abstract:In the first two decades of the 21st century, Copenhagen has vaulted to international attention for its enthusiastic bicycle culture and infrastructure. While it’s tempting to dismiss this accomplishment as...

Abstract:First Respond is a for-profit Chinese social enterprise focused on developing emergency services with the mission of making China a safer place. In China, there is a severe lack of first aid awareness and systems,...

Abstract:First Respond is a for-profit Chinese social enterprise focused on developing emergency services with the mission of making China a safer place. In China, there is a severe lack of first aid awareness and systems,...

Abstract:Transport for London is in charge of an extensive network of Underground (metro) stations, some of which are more congested than others. This case looks at capacity planning, with the heavy-traffic Victoria Station...

Abstract:In Serbia, citizens are reluctant to become politically active but young leaders Babović and Stojicic, the case protagonists, are determined to prod their peers into taking a stronger role in the country’s...

Abstract:In 2011, the UK founded a new government agency known as the "Government Digital Service" (or GDS). Facing significant budget challenges, several high profile IT failures, and growing demands to "modernize"...

Abstract:Argentina's macroeconomic crisis of 2001-02 is a classic case of the interaction between exchange rate policy, fiscal policy, banking and external finance. It makes for a highly engaging teaching case because of its...

Abstract:In October 2015, two senior California officials: Marybel Batjer, Secretary for Government Operations, and Michael Wilkening, Undersecretary for the Health and Human Services Agency seized on an idea that had the...

Abstract:In October 2015, two senior California officials: Marybel Batjer, Secretary for Government Operations, and Michael Wilkening, Undersecretary for the Health and Human Services Agency seized on an idea that had the...

Abstract:This case traces the sexual assault scandal that rocked the United States Air Force Academy in 2003. Over a period of several months, dozens of current and former female students came forward to the media and...

Abstract:This sequel accompanies case number 2098.0. The case traces the sexual assault scandal that rocked the United States Air Force Academy in 2003. Over a period of several months, dozens of current and former female...

Abstract:In 2010, the overwhelmed Pollution Control Board in the Indian state of Gujarat faced a difficult path ahead. The agency charged with monitoring and enforcing pollution regulations in the heavily industrialized...

Abstract:In 2013, Rio de Janeiro's main international airport, Galeão, was set to be privatized through a 25-year term concession. The Brazilian government set a minimum bid value of $4.8 billion for the airport. Five...

Abstract:On April 20, 2010 an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana. BP was using the Deepwater Horizon to drill an “ultra-deep” offshore...

Abstract:This epilogue accompanies Case Number 2058.0, "Implementation of a New Country-Wide Social Safety-Net Program: The Jamaica PATH Program." In 2002 the Jamaican government redesigned its social safety net programs for...

Abstract:In 2002 the Jamaican government redesigned its social safety net programs for children and the elderly. Their goal was to simplify and better target support to those individuals most in need. This case...

Abstract:In 2013 the Kentucky legislature passed legislation that made the child welfare agency (DCBS) responsible for investigating reported cases of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children and responding to their needs,...

Abstract:In June 2009, Martha Johnson was selected to lead the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), a federal agency headquartered in Washington, D.C that largely oversaw government procurement. After Johnson, a...

Abstract:On April 15, 2013, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev placed and detonated two homemade bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three bystanders and injuring more than two hundred others. This case...

Abstract:This sequel accompanies case number 2084.0. This case focuses on the politics and economics of local adaptation to the threat of climate change impacts. Specifically it focuses on whether a jurisdiction--Miami-Dade...

Abstract:This case focuses on the politics and economics of local adaptation to the threat of climate change impacts. Specifically it focuses on whether a jurisdiction--Miami-Dade County--should amend a draft...

Abstract:Vox Capital was the first certified impact investing fund in Brazil. Founded in 2009, it provides early-stage capital for companies offering innovative and scalable solutions to enhance the lives of low-income...

Abstract:This case (Parts A&B) takes students behind the scenes at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) as it struggles to recognize and manage an unusual outbreak of HIV in a poor, rural community. As ISDH...

Abstract:This case (Parts A&B) takes students behind the scenes at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) as it struggles to recognize and manage an unusual outbreak of HIV in a poor, rural community. As ISDH...

Abstract:This epilogue accompanies case number 2080.0. This case (Parts A&B) takes students behind the scenes at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) as it struggles to recognize and manage an unusual outbreak...

Abstract:In 2014, three former Code for America fellows embarked on a one-year skunk works journey to use technology to improve the enrollment process for California’s SNAP (food stamp) program, CalFresh, to increase...

Abstract:In June 2001, after winning the UK general elections by a landslide, which gave him a second term, Tony Blair invited Michael Barber (case protagonist) to establish and lead the Prime Minister Delivery Unit (PMDU):...

Abstract:This sequel accompanies case number 1999.0. This case looks at public-private partnership (PPP) between the Health Ministry for the government of Lesotho and a private consortium headed up by Netcare, a South...

Abstract:This case is about Akhuwat – one of the largest micro-finance organizations in Pakistan. The case presents Akhuwat's phenomenal growth from a small philanthropic experiment into one of the most prominent...

Abstract:Vaccines are one of the most valuable and cost-effective public health interventions. While children in high-income countries were routinely vaccinated against a range of diseases, governments in many low- and...

Abstract:This is an introductory case with a simple narrative designed to teach students the basics of designing a simple financial spreadsheet. The follow-up B case may be used to teach the basic steps for creating pivot...

Abstract:This is an introductory case with a simple narrative designed to teach students the basics of designing a simple financial spreadsheet. The follow-up B case may be used to teach the basic steps for creating pivot...

Abstract:On June 16, 2013, the Irish government sponsored the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, which proposed to allow abortions when doctors determined the procedure was necessary to save the life of the mother...

Abstract:This case describes how community leaders in Amman, Jordan used a community organizing framework to launch and manage a major campaign, 6 Minutes, to encourage residents to commit time to reading for pleasure. Using...

Abstract:“The Mosquito Network” describes the appointment and work of Ray Chambers, a retired private equity entrepreneur, as the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Malaria. The A case covers the modern...

Abstract:“The Mosquito Network” describes the appointment and work of Ray Chambers, a retired private equity entrepreneur, as the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Malaria. The A case covers the modern...

Abstract:Throughout the summer of 2010, Pakistan experienced severe flooding that overtook a large portion of the country, displacing millions of people, causing extensive physical damage, and resulting in significant...

Abstract:A newly elected city council member is facing her first vote—an appropriations measure to increase funding for the Scared Straight program. Juvenile crime is rising in the city, citizens are concerned and want...

Abstract:This sequel accompanies HKS Case Number 2018.0. On June 5, 2013, a London newspaper reported that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting the telephone records of millions of Verizon...

Abstract:This case, about creating a startup with a social mission, is designed to help students think through the strategic alignment of public value, legitimacy/support, and operational capacity in a simple context...

Abstract:In the summer of 2014, Alta Bicycle Share, Inc had just won its second contract to operate the Hubway bike sharing system in the cities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville in Eastern Massachusetts. Emily...

Abstract:In the summer of 2014, Alta Bicycle Share, Inc had just won its second contract to operate the Hubway bike sharing system in the cities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville in Eastern Massachusetts. Emily...

Abstract:This case explores the experiences of three Manhattan-based hospitals during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Beginning with an overview of how the hospitals prepared in the months and days leading up to the storm, it...

Abstract:Due to proposed long-term cuts in the United States Department of Defense (DOD) budget, the DOD prioritized improving efficiencies, reducing overhead, and eliminating redundancies within its many commands...

Abstract:In September 2014, as several West African countries continued to battle a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus, Dallas, Texas, emerged as ground zero for the disease in the U.S. This case recounts how, over the...

Abstract:In 2008, British Columbia became one of the few jurisdictions in the world to successfully implement a comprehensive carbon tax. The architect of the tax, Premier Gordon Campbell, championed the broad-based carbon...

Abstract:In 2008, British Columbia became one of the few jurisdictions in the world to successfully implement a comprehensive carbon tax. The architect of the tax, Premier Gordon Campbell, championed the broad-based carbon...

Abstract:The controversial choking death of Eric Garner in New York City in 2014 is the point of departure for this rich and complex case, which tackles difficult questions of race, crime, and policing in poor,...

Abstract:In a matter of minutes on the afternoon of April 27, 2011, a massive and powerful tornado leveled 1/8 of the area of Tuscaloosa, AL, a city of approximately 90,000 people and home to the University of Alabama...

Abstract:Can an innovation model be used to solve seemingly intractable problems consistently, reliably and effectively? In 2011, Bloomberg Philanthropies founder and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced a...

Abstract:In 2010, the overwhelmed Pollution Control Board in the Indian state of Gujarat faced a difficult path ahead. The agency charged with monitoring and enforcing pollution regulations in the heavily industrialized...

Abstract:In 2011 the World Bank and others were concerned that cities all over the developing world were losing their battle with increasing traffic congestion in part because they lacked institutions that had the authority...

Abstract:Designed for a course in public finance or in transportation, this case describes the financial crisis that, in 2013, loomed over the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the transit system...

Abstract:Designed for a course in public finance or in transportation, this case describes the financial crisis that, in 2013, loomed over the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the transit system...

Abstract:Lines at airports, at the ticket counter, security screening or at the gate, make air travel a stressful experience. Queues are especially problematic during peak travel periods when space and processing capacity...

Abstract:This case is part of a four part series that examines the merger of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Military Center at Bethesda--the most expensive, controversial and largest hospital...

Abstract:This case is part of a four part series that examines the merger of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Military Center at Bethesda--the most expensive, controversial and largest hospital...

Abstract:This case is part of a four part series that examines the merger of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Military Center at Bethesda--the most expensive, controversial and largest hospital...

Abstract:When Dr. John Kitzhaber became Oregon's Governor in January 2011, the state faced a reported $2 billion deficit in the state's Medicaid budget. Consequently, Kitzhaber, working in partnership with his top health...

Abstract:In July 2013, more than 150 negotiators from the European Union and the United States converged in Washington, D.C. to begin crafting what could become the world's largest free trade agreement-the Transatlantic...

Abstract:In August 2013, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) shocked many in the airline industry by filing a lawsuit to block the merger of American Airlines and US Airways on the grounds that the...

Abstract:This sequel accompanies case number 2044.0. In August 2013, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) shocked many in the airline industry by filing a lawsuit to block the merger of American Airlines...

Abstract:In spring 2009, North Dakota experienced some of the worst flooding in state history. This case describes how the state's National Guard responded by mobilizing thousands of its troops and working in concert with...

Abstract:In spring 2009, North Dakota experienced some of the worst flooding in state history. This case describes how the state's National Guard responded by mobilizing thousands of its troops and working in concert with...

Abstract:In spring 2009, North Dakota experienced some of the worst flooding in state history. This case describes how the state's National Guard responded by mobilizing thousands of its troops and working in concert with...

Abstract:In July 2012, three freshly-minted Harvard Kennedy School graduates bought one-way tickets to Medellin, Colombia, to launch a nonprofit startup they called Instiglio. Their idea: to bring Social Impact Bonds, still...

Abstract:From 2010 through 2013, the Oregon Health Authoritys Public Health Division conducted its first health impact assessment (HIA), a process in which a public health organization draws on an array of analytical...

Abstract:Bernard Madoff perpetrated a $60 billion fraud that lasted for more than a decade. The fallout ruined the lives of many of his investors and significantly damaged the reputation of the Securities and Exchange...

Abstract:Set in 2009-2010, during the fractious U.S. Congressional debate over enacting the Obamacare health reform bill, this ethics case focuses on the choices and constraints facing Bart Stupak, a Democratic Congressman...

Abstract:In February 2010, Germany's national railway broke ground on a project that had been under negotiation for more than 20 years, the Stuttgart segment of the European Magistrale, a 930-mile cross-Europe high-speed...

Abstract:Variance analysis is widely used in budgeting and managerial accounting, and is a required skill to be taught in any introductory budget course. The Kalamazoo Zoo is a short, amusing case for use in teaching...

Abstract:Juan Antonio Jimenez is the new Executive Director of the Toliza Museum of Art located in Spain. Jimenez is concerned that the museum lost money in 2008 and wants to understand what the financial results for the...

Abstract:European municipalities, eager to increase the use of environmentally friendly forms of public transportation, offered bicycle sharing programs as adjuncts to their public transportation systems. This case focuses...

Abstract:In July 2013 Tom Perez became the United States' 26th Secretary of Labor. Perez took the helm of the Department of Labor at a critical juncture. In recent years, the US economy was marred by historically high rates...

Abstract:In 2011, Dillon Beresford, a computer security expert, discovered a series of new vulnerabilities impacting components of widely used industrial control systems. These new previously unknown vulnerabilities-what are...

Abstract:This epilogue accompanies case 2029.0. In 2011, Dillon Beresford, a computer security expert, discovered a series of new vulnerabilities impacting components of widely used industrial control systems. These new...

Abstract:This case focuses on a proposal to build two, 17 megawatt facilities to provide power to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. The country has just come out of a bitter civil war in which almost all of its power system...

Abstract:This case traces the evolution of thinking about, and the implementation of, performance assessment at one of Turkey's largest and most respected nonprofit organizations, the Educational Volunteers Foundation of...

Abstract:This case study is set in Harvard Square in 2012-2013, and explores how a diverse group of local stakeholders (e.g. the Cambridge Police Department, city agencies, churches, nonprofit service providers, Harvard...

Abstract:In July 2012, a gunman entered a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and opened fire, killing 12 people, injuring 58 others, and traumatizing a community. This case briefly describes the shooting and emergency...

Abstract:In July 2012, a gunman entered a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and opened fire, killing 12 people, injuring 58 others, and traumatizing a community. This case briefly describes the shooting and emergency...

Abstract:Like many other states at the time, Minnesota found itself facing several serious long-term public health challenges in the mid- and late-2000s, including rapidly rising health care costs and residents' increasing...

Abstract:In July 2012, three freshly-minted Harvard Kennedy School graduates bought one-way tickets to Medellin, Colombia, to launch a nonprofit startup they called Instiglio. Their idea: to bring Social Impact Bonds, still...

Abstract:In 2013, democratic Colorado state senators John Morse and Angela Giron were recalled from office in the wake of a successful recall campaign launched by grassroots groups angered by the senators support for...

Abstract:This decision-forcing case focuses on a diplomatic challenge faced by US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran between April and July 2005: the writing...

Abstract:This sequel accompanies case number 2023.0. This decision-forcing case focuses on a diplomatic challenge faced by US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam...

Abstract:In summer 2010, unusually intense monsoon rains in Pakistan triggered slow-moving floods that inundated a fifth of the country and displaced millions of people. This case describes how Pakistans government...

Abstract:In summer 2010, unusually intense monsoon rains in Pakistan triggered slow-moving floods that inundated a fifth of the country and displaced millions of people. This case describes how Pakistans government...

Abstract:This epilogue accompanies case 2016.0. In summer 2010, unusually intense monsoon rains in Pakistan triggered slow-moving floods that inundated a fifth of the country and displaced millions of people. This case...

Abstract:In 2008, the state of Oregon had the budget to enroll 10,000 individuals into Medicaid. But officials knew that demand for Medicaid would be far greater. To give all poor, uninsured Oregonians a fair chance at...

Abstract:This negotiations case describes the approach, over time, of Santa Clara, a small Pueblo Indian tribe in New Mexico, to recover a piece of land tribal leaders viewed as integral to their ancestral homeland. Unlike...

Abstract:This negotiations case describes the approach, over time, of Santa Clara, a small Pueblo Indian tribe in New Mexico, to recover a piece of land tribal leaders viewed as integral to their ancestral homeland. Unlike...